Bethene R. 'Betty' Wyatt, 95

Bethene R. “Betty” Wyatt passed away peacefully May 19, 2024, at her home in Redmond, Washington. 

Betty was born March 14, 1929, in Pendleton, Ore., to parents Maurine A. and Howard Y. Smith. After relocating to Portland, Betty grew to consider "The City of Roses" home. She attended Portland schools and graduated from Grant High School in 1946. It was during high school that she met her future husband, William “Bill” Wyatt.

Betty and Bill married in June 1947, after Bill’s discharge from the Navy and Betty’s completion of a year at the University of Oregon. Betty and Bill went on to have two children, Christine Wyatt (1949) and Scott Wyatt (1951).

In 1958, the Wyatts moved to Sandpoint, Idaho. Both children attended Sandpoint public schools, graduated from Sandpoint High School, attended university, and went on to become lawyers in the Seattle area. Betty was active in Welcome Wagon and Beta Sigma Phi. In 1978, she and Bill relocated to Bainbridge Island in Washington state.

Betty was witty and loved a good turn of phrase. She was a passionate reader, with an extensive library. She was also a talented painter. Her surviving family members are proud to display her artwork in their homes. A passionate devotee of bridge, she enjoyed playing for years with Bill and other friends in and around Sandpoint and Bainbridge Island. From the late 1940s on, Betty was a proud keeper of cats, all of whom she cared for and loved along the way.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband Bill (2002) and her daughter Christine (2020). She is survived by her son, Scott Wyatt of Sammamish, Wash.; two grandsons, Aaron Wyatt of Olympia, Wash., and Todd Wyatt of Issaquah, Wash.; and five great-grandchildren. She was a bright star in the family, and a dear friend to contemporaries.